08

Today's Promise

Dr. Bill Bright

A Blameless Watchman

"If you refuse to warn the wicked when
I want you to tell them, You are under the penalty of death, therefore repent
and save your life - they will die in their sins, but I will punish you. I will
demand your blood for theirs. But if you warn them and they keep on sinning, and
refuse to repent, they will die in their sins, but you are blameless - you have
done all you could" (Ezekiel 3:18-19).

One of the most sobering messages I find in all the words of God is this
terrible warning found in the book of Ezekiel. God commanded Ezekiel to warn the
people of Israel to turn from their sins. Some would argue that this has no
application for the Christian. I would disagree. In principle this is exactly
what our Lord commands us to do - to go and make disciples of all nations, to
preach the gospel to all men, to follow Jesus and He will make us to become
fishers of men.

It is a sobering thing to realize that all around us there are multitudes of
men and women, even loved ones, who do not know the Savior. Many of them have
never received an intelligent, Spirit-filled, loving witness concerning our
Savior. Who will tell them? There are some people whom you and I can reach whom
nobody else can influence.

I am writing this day's devotion while in Amsterdam where I am speaking at an
international gathering of Christian evangelists. During the course of my days
here I have talked with many taxi drivers, maids, waiters and other employees of
the hotel. Only one professed to be a believer and we had good fellowship
together. Some were openly defiant, even angry at the name of Jesus. But in each
case I have shared the gospel, constrained by the love of Christ out of a deep
sense of gratitude for all that He has done for me, and as an act of obedience
to His command to be His witness.

I pray that God will give me a greater sense of urgency to warn men that
unless they turn to Christ they will die in their sins. I do not want to be
responsible because I failed to warn them. They must know that there is a heaven
and a hell and that there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby
we must be saved but the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

TODAY'S ACTION POINT:
I will ask the Holy Spirit to quicken within my heart, out of a deep sense of
gratitude for all He has done for me and from a desire to obey our Lord's
commands, a greater sense of urgency to be His witness and to warn men to turn
from their wicked ways and receive Christ, the gift of God's love.